In the dispensing of modern consumer products, it is sometimes desirable to keep one or more of the components separate until just before dispensing them in the final product. For example, it may be necessary to keep bleach and enzyme ingredients separate prior to dispensing the product to prevent undesirable, premature reaction of the components. Other examples where it may be desirable to keep ingredients separate in consumer products include surfactant and conditioner ingredients in shampoos and surfactant and moisturizer ingredients in shower gels.
While dual containers are desirable, it is also important that their fabrication be as simple and economical as possible. This objective is furthered if, for example, the dual compartments are identical.
Numerous dual chambered or multiple bottle packages are known in the art.
Gentile, U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,950 discloses a package for dispensing at least two liquid components simultaneously. The package comprises a container having at least two discrete compartments, each with an upper outlet end. A closure system for the container includes a crown portion having a peripheral skirt portion depending downwardly. At least two pouring spouts extend upwardly from the crown. Each pouring spout is provided with a through opening which extends from the upper end of the spout into a compartment. Separate storage compartments 8, 10 are provided. The two compartment container can either be formed of two entirely separate compartments which are held together by a closure system or can be formed by a dividing wall in the container. The closure system engages the outer surface of the container in a fluid tight manner. A conventional groove and bead snap fit engagement, which can be substituted with known equivalent engagements or seals, may be used.
Blette, U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,928 discloses a system for dispensing materials made of two components including a side by side pair of collapsible tubes that fit within a barrel of a pressurized air applicator. When air is admitted into the barrel, the tubes simultaneously collapse to direct components through outlet ports and into a static mixer where the components are mixed to a homogeneous mass. Each tube includes a relatively rigid front and rear end piece and the end pieces are coupled together by pin elements. In FIG. 7, half moon shaped and pieces 42 are shown.
Gentile, U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,947 discloses a dental mouthwash product which includes a dispensing container having at least two discrete compartments. A closure mechanism is sealingly attached to an upper end of the dispensing container. The two compartments can either be formed of two entirely separate compartments which are held together by the closure or can be formed by a dividing wall in the container.
Pardo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,808 discloses sequential closure interlock devices for container packages having multiple product compartments provided with parallel neck finishes lying generally in a single plane. The unitized package may further comprise means such as a shrink wrap joining the containers into a unified package. More than two compartments and/or bottles or containers may be utilized and other means than the shrink wrap bands may be utilized to join the bottle or containers into the unified package. For example, label panels spanning the joint between the bottles or containers and bonded to each of the bottles or containers may be used, as may direct bonding of the bottles or containers to each other. Other types of bands or outer packaging or wraps may also be similarly utilized.
Buske, U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,268 discloses a container for packaging liquids having the form of preferably a right prism with two polygonal bases and being adapted to be placed with at least one of its basal and lateral faces against corresponding faces of similarly formed containers to form a group of containers. At least one of the basal and lateral faces is provides with means for engaging a corresponding face of a similar container when placed against the corresponding face to counteract slipping between the engaging faces.
Poston et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,225,951 comprises a washer reservoir construction which includes integral formations for supporting a bottle of concentrated washer solvent, thus eliminating the need for a separate fastening clip. The washer reservoirs and solvent containers may have complementary formations of the tongue and groove type.
Abfier et al., U.S. Pat. No. DES 353,326 discloses the design for what appears to be a dual container.
Jennison, U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,812 discloses a multi-container package wherein the containers are detachably connected by projections and recesses.
Mednis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,595 discloses a multi purpose container unit whose hollow body neck and shoulder sections are proportioned and constructed in a manner that allows interfacing and mating with an identical or mirror image unit of like size, volume or exterior proportions. Mednis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,423 discloses containers mated together to form a polyhedron.
Douglas et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,191 discloses a dual container having two bottles which are releasably interlocked in side-by-side relation by a mortise and tenon. A single cap covers both bottles, but the cap has a separate outlet for each bottle, which may be opened independently of each other.
Douglas et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,159 discloses a dual bottle container wherein two bottles are releasably interlocked together in side-by-side relation by a plateau on one of the bottles which engages a depression on the other bottle.
Reil et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,209 discloses a package for flowable media comprised of two tube-shaped parts each forming an entire side wall, two oppositely disposed and adjacent half side wall parts, a half bottom part and a half upper wall part with a half pourer device. These are in each case sealed and connected to each other individually by a synthetic plastic film.
There remains a need for an improved dual container for dispensing separately stored components in a manner so that they can emerge proximate each other and mix into a single product stream.